Rhosllannerchrugog (occasionally written in English as Rhosllanerchrugog) is a village, community and ecclesiastical parish in the County Borough of Wrexham, Wales. The community contains the villages of Rhosllannerchrugog, Ponciau, Pant and Johnstown.

Contents

History

Rhos sign.png

Literally translated the name comes from the Welsh: rhos "moor"; llannerch "glade"; grugog "heathery" hence "Moor of the Heathery Glade." It is often known simply as Rhos. With a population of approximately 10,000 the modern community of Rhosllannerchrugog is one of the largest in Wales.

The village was originally within the ancient parish of Ruabon and the district was referred to as Morton Above (i.e. Morton, or moor town, above Offa's Dyke) or Morton Wallichorum (the Welsh Morton). In 1844 Morton Above became part of the newly created parish of Rhosllannerchrugog.

The parish church of St. John the Evangelist, built on the outskirts of the village in 1852, was consecrated on 4 October 1853. Although now closed, the building is listed, Grade II. A cemetery surrounds the church and was later extended as a civil cemetery. St. David's church, in the centre of the village, now acts as the parish church.

The development of the village can be attributed largely to the coal seams of north-east Wales that pass beneath it, leading to the establishment of a large coal mining community during the 18th century. A symbol of Rhos' coal-mining heritage is seen in the "Stiwt", the miners' institute on Broad Street. This was erected and paid for by the miners, during the general strike of 1926, as a social and cultural centre for the community.

The Welsh Religious Revival of 1904 had a major impact on Rhosllannerchrugog. The famous bardic line Beibl a Rhaw i Bobl y Rhos (English: a Bible and a Spade for the People of Rhos) reflects the importance of both coal-mining and the chapels on the village's culture and heritage. The predominantly Welsh language churches and chapels impacted greatly on the linguistic and cultural profile of the area. One result of this is that although only nine miles from the English border and surrounded by English-speaking villages, Welsh is still spoken as a community language in Rhosllannerchrugog.

Poor Law Union

Rhosllannerchrugog was part of the Wrexham Union which was created on 30 March 1837. A workhouse was built at Croesnewydd in Bersham. The records of the Wrexham Union are now held at Denbighshire Record Office in Ruthin.